Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Part 2. The Canyon Country
| The most "western-like" area of the
West is Colorado Plateau with its canyons, rocks and mesas. This area the size
of Poland contains our planet's most striking desert landscapes, and the most
beautiful river, Colorado. It is also of the most abused waterways: dams have
flooded some of the best canyons, and almost all
native fish species are extinct in the river. |
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| Arches National Park,
Utah. |
Church Rock, Utah. |
| I explored all parks and monuments of the Plateau,
and found Arches to be the most beautiful. It is a matter of personal taste, of
course. |
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| Arches National Park, Utah. |
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Lone Rock, Utah. |
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Canyonlands National Park, Utah. |
If Arches are too touristic for you, nearby Canyonlands
National Park provides a rare opportunity to hike for many days through spectacular
maze of canyons without seeing any people or man-made structures. Some treks take
more than a week to complete. |
Canyonlands National Park, Utah. |
Kodachrome Basin State Park, Utah. |
Desert cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus
audubonii) in a tunnel, Zion. |
Cedar Breaks Nat'l Monument, Utah. |
River trail, Zion Canyon |
It's a bit scary to visit these parks
if you know their visitation statistics. But most people never wonder more than
5 km from drivable roads. Only if a trail is listed in guidebooks as a "must
see" attraction, will tourists follow it in large numbers. In Zion National
Park, Utah, they even wade up a mountain river - something they'd never attempt
under normal conditions. Many places are no less scenic than the National parks,
but are virtually unknown outside the region. |
Capitol Reef, Utah. |
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| Owachomo Bridge, Natural Bridges
National Monument, Utah. |
Goblin Valley, Utah. |
I've been to the Plateau many times,
sometimes spending weeks at a time hiking or horseback riding. But there are still
some unique places I haven't seen. By the way, it's one of the best places in
the world for cross-country horseback trips. I "discovered" many little-known
gems, such as the tiny Goblin Valley State Park, Utah. Sunset is the best time
to visit it. |
Goblin Valley, Utah. |
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| Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah. |
Winter in Bryce Canyon National Park. |
Often you can avoid the crowds by visiting off-season.
In winter and early spring, deep snow scares most tourists away from high- elevation
sites like Bryce Canyon. |
Winter in Bryce Canyon National Park. |
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| Sunrise, Bryce Canyon. |
Hodoos, Bryce Canyon. |
The towering rocks of Bryce Canyon are locally
called hodoos. They look best at sunrise. |
"Cave City", Bryce Canyon. |
Black Canyon of the
Gunnison Nat'l Park,
Colorado. |
Dinosaur Nat. Monument, Colorado
Dark, narrow canyons in the far northeast of the Plateau are also beautiful, but
less popular. Only paleontologists are frequent visitors here. |
Black Canyon of the
Gunnison Nat'l Park,
Colorado. |
Kodachrome Basin State Park, Utah (natural colors).
Part 3. The Grand Staircase
Back to Part 1
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